PRACTICAL DATA QUALITY / 2026
A CSV data quality checklist. Catch issues before import.
A CSV can be readable and still contain misleading records. Before importing a booking, sales or operations export, check structural issues and make deliberate business decisions about what to fix.
TRY THE FREE PRIVATE CSV CHECKER →1. Check headers and row structure
Confirm that the first row contains the column names you expect. Check delimiters, quoting, inconsistent row widths and whether numeric values use the expected decimal conventions. A parser can flag structural issues, but it cannot always determine the correct business meaning.
2. Look for duplicate rows
Exact duplicate rows contain identical values in all columns. They are not the same as repeated IDs: the same order number with an updated status might be legitimate. Preserve the original export before deleting records.
3. Identify missing values
Blank values in an optional note field may be harmless. Blank values in prices, booking dates or required identifiers may block a workflow. Measure the affected rows before imputing or removing any records.
4. Check numeric ranges and retest
Look for implausible negative amounts, unusually large values or numbers stored as text. Compare outliers against source records. After correcting data, repeat the structural check with a safe sample.
Try these checks with MicroVault
MicroVault checks CSV structure locally in your browser, including exact duplicate rows, missing cells and selected numeric diagnostics. The free tool accepts CSV files up to 2 MB. It cannot certify that your underlying business records are correct.
SCAN A CSV FREE — NO ACCOUNT →Need a fuller written output? The optional €5 one-time Deep Report provides more detailed diagnostics, while the €29 Decision Pack adds a prioritized action plan. Payments are verified after Stripe checkout. Review the seller and purchase terms before paying.
Privacy and limitations
Your CSV's analysis runs in the browser for the free scan. Avoid sensitive files on shared devices and review the site's privacy notice. This checklist is general technical guidance, not a guarantee of compliance or error-free decisions.